Victor Attah International Airport in Uyo began international flight operations on Saturday, sending its first overseas service to Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana, in a launch led by Festus Keyamo and Governor Umo Eno.
The maiden flight carried Eno, Keyamo and other government functionaries as government officials, aviation stakeholders and passengers watched the departure. The opening came earlier than expected: international operations had initially been scheduled for the first quarter of 2026.
Keyamo described the airport as more than a terminal, calling it a world-class transit hub with transfer options from international to international, domestic to international and international to domestic flights. He said no other airport in Nigeria offers that kind of service, and called it a pacesetter for the country.
The minister’s statement said the launch would boost tourism, trade and investment, create employment opportunities and strengthen regional integration within West Africa. Tunde Moshood said the event marked the official start of international flight operations from the airport and showed Akwa Ibom State as a growing hub for regional and global air connectivity.
Eno framed the moment as the product of a relay of leadership, naming Obong Victor Attah, Chief Godswill Akpabio, Mr Udom Emmanuel and himself as successive contributors to the project. He also credited Keyamo for the release of funds that helped complete the airport’s transformation into what officials now describe as a transit hub.
The timing matters because the airport did not just meet a promise; it moved months ahead of the schedule that had been set for the first quarter of 2026. That makes Saturday’s flight both a symbolic opening and a practical test of whether Akwa Ibom can turn a new piece of infrastructure into sustained regional traffic.
For now, the answer is already visible in the sky over Uyo: Victor Attah International Airport has moved from construction milestone to international gateway, and the first flight to Accra has put it on the map as a working link between Nigeria and West Africa.
